Apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products and method for modifying such apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products includes a store with an absorbent web which is to be dispensed, a conveying mechanism with at least one conveying element for feeding the absorbent web and a mechanism for severing the web so as to form absorbent sheet products. The apparatus further includes a mechanism for collecting electrical charges caused by static electricity, a mechanism for directing electrical charges to another element within the apparatus for dispensing, and a mechanism for neutralising or consuming the electrical charges.

Claims

1. A method for modifying an apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products comprising a store with an absorbent web which is to be dispensed, a conveying mechanism for feeding the absorbent web, and a severing mechanism for severing the web so as to form absorbent sheet products wherein the method comprises the steps of: placing a collecting mechanism for collecting electrical charges caused by static electricity in direct contact with a roller of the conveying mechanism inside the apparatus with a negative electrostatic charge; and placing an LED in electrical contact with the collecting mechanism such that the only source of electrical charges to rower the LED is the collecting mechanism.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting mechanism comprises a first brush element contacting the roller of the conveying mechanism.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is a wire that electrically connects the collecting mechanism and the LED.

4. An apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products comprising: a store with an absorbent web which is to be dispensed; a conveying mechanism for feeding the absorbent web; a severing mechanism for severing the web so as to form absorbent sheet products; a collecting mechanism for collecting negative electrical charges caused by static electricity from the conveying mechanism, the collecting mechanism being in direct contact with a roller of the conveying mechanism; an LED in electrical contact with the collecting mechanism such that the only source of electrical charges to power the LED is the collecting mechanism.

5. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 4, wherein another collecting mechanism is attached to the severing mechanism.

6. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 4, wherein the collecting mechanism comprises a first brush element that is contacting the conveying mechanism.

7. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 6, wherein the first brush element extends along most of the length of the roller of the conveying mechanism.

8. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 6, wherein the first brush element includes several separate brushes, the separate brushes are provided at different positions of the roller of the conveying mechanism at locations where the absorbent web comes in contact with the roller.

9. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 7, wherein a second brush element is attached to the severing mechanism for collecting electrical charges, and wherein at least one of the first brush element and the second brush element comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, nylon fibers, natural hair, stainless steel, SUS304 material, acrylic fibers coated with a conductive material, and synthetic conductive fibers, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 5, wherein the severing mechanism is a tear bar.

11. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 4, wherein the first brush element is one single brush.

12. The apparatus for dispensing according to claim 4, wherein the electrical contact is a wire that electrically connects the collecting mechanism and the LED.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, embodiments of the invention will be briefly discussed, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically gives the main components of a conventional dispenser;

(3) FIG. 2 shows examples of the main parts of a dispenser where a build-up of electrostatic charge can be observed;

(4) FIG. 3 schematically show an embodiment of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows a variant of the embodiment as given in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a tear bar with mounted brushes;

(7) FIG. 6 schematically explains a further embodiment of the invention; and

(8) FIG. 7 schematically shows a further embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) Throughout the following embodiments, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

(10) FIG. 1 schematically shows a dispenser without its front shell in order to see the main parts of such dispenser.

(11) The dispenser generally denoted by reference numeral 10 has a housing which includes at least two parts. The back shell 12 as shown in FIG. 1 can be affixed to a wall. The front shell (not shown) closes the dispenser and only leaves a slot through which the product can be dispensed.

(12) Inside the dispenser, there is a feed roll 14 on which an absorbent web is wound. This is just an example and, as outlined above, other types of dispensers can also be used to realize the invention, like dispensers in which the absorbent web is stored as a folded stack. In the example dispenser as shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent web 16 is wound from the roll and passes through a conveying unit 18 which mainly includes a drive roll 20, a guide roll 22 and a tear bar 24. The absorbent web leaves the dispenser at position 26 where there is a slot in the front shell of the dispenser through which the absorbent product extends and can be removed by a user.

(13) The main part of the conveying unit 18 as shown in FIG. 1 are individually exemplified in FIG. 2. The absorbent web to be dispensed passes through the nip between a drive roll 20 and a guide roll which, in FIG. 2, are individually shown without their correct mutual arrangement. In an attempt to provide for a good friction between the conveying unit and the absorbent web, the drive roll might be fully coated by a high friction covering or by rings 28 of a high friction component, like suitable plastic material or rubber. The guide roll can be made of any suitable material which cooperates with the drive roll to achieve a safe transport of the absorbent web between drive roll 20 and guide roll 22.

(14) FIG. 2 also exemplifies the possible size of a tear bar which might be a part of the conveying unit 18 so that the servicing of the dispenser including individual modules might be simplified. However, it is also possible to provide the tear bar 24 separately to the conveying unit. In that case, the tear bar 24 is separately affixed to the housing of the dispenser. Tear bar 24 is provided with cutting teeth 30 which can be used by the user to sever a suitable length of the absorbent web. However, the invention is not restricted to this specific type of dispenser and it is also possible to provide tear bars cooperating with the conveying unit in order to automatically sever a metered length of absorbent sheet.

(15) It has been found that, during operation, most static load builds up at the three components as shown in FIG. 3. Drive roll 20, guide roll 22 and tear bar 24 get negatively charged, whereas the absorbent web, especially tissue paper, leaving the dispenser is positively charged.

(16) FIG. 3 schematically shows a first embodiment. In this embodiment, the absorbent web 16 is transported in the direction of arrow A. It passes through the nip between drive roll 20 and guide roll 22. In order to show the mutual position of the rolls and the brush as described below, the absorbent web 16 is shown in FIG. 3 as if it were translucent.

(17) Due to the frictional transport of the absorbent web 16 between drive roll 20 and guide roll 2, the absorbent web becomes positively charged after leaving the nip between drive roll 20 and guide roll 22. This is schematically shown in position 32 of the absorbent web were +-signs are added. At the same time, drive roll 20 becomes negatively charged. This negative static charge in drive roll 20 could build-up to an undesirable extent, whereas the absorbent web leaving the dispenser only has a small positive charge. In an attempt to neutralise the electrical charges, a brush 32 is provided with bristles or filaments which sweep over the circumferential surface of drive roll 20. Such brush is provided with conductive bristles or filaments in order to collect excess electrons corresponding to negative charges from the surface of the drive roll 20. In order to make sure that there is a good contact between the individual filaments and the drive roll, the filaments of the brushes have a length between about 10 mm and 25 mm. This makes it possible to compensate for small positional deviations from the optimum position of the brush 32 and also makes it possible that the bristles or filaments 36 can bend and sweep over the surface of the drive roll 20 in order to increase the contact time between individual positions of the drive roll and the fibers of the brush. The longer the contact between the brush and an individual position on the surface of the drive roll is, the better are the chances that an electron can migrate from the drive roll 20 into the fibers 36 of the brush 32.

(18) The charge collected by the brush 32 is directed to a conducive wire 38 from which it is directed to a second brush 40 which is also provided with fibers 42 (bristles or filaments). The second brush 40 is positioned such as to contact the absorbent web 16 at the position 32 in which the absorbent web is positively charged corresponding to a lack of electrons. The second brush 40 and especially its fibers 42 serve to contact the absorbent web 16 and to neutralise the positive static charge of the absorbent web by supplying a negative charge to the paper web.

(19) The higher the build-up of negative charge on the drive roll 20 is, the more effective will the first brush 34 in contact with the drive roll 20 collect negative charges and the more effective the second brush 40 will be able to reintroduce such negative charges into the absorbent web 16. Therefore, the mechanism as schematically shown in FIG. 3 is highly efficient in order to reduce the build-up of undesired electrostatic charge in the dispenser.

(20) The attachment of the first and second brush at a fixed position relative to the housing of the dispenser needs not to be specified here because this can be easily realized by a skilled person. This easy assembly of the two brushes 34 and 40 as well as the conductive wire 38 inbetween makes it possible to easily modify an existing dispenser in which a high build-up of undesired electrostatic load could be observed.

(21) FIG. 4 exemplifies another embodiment in which there is not one single first brush 34 as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, brush 34 extends over the whole effective length of drive roll 20. However, as shown in FIG. 2, drive roll 20 can be provided with specific rings 28 of high friction material which serve to contact the absorbent web in cooperation with the guide roll 22. In such a case, the electrostatic load will also build-up in such specific regions 28 of the drive roll 20. Therefore, it is also possible to provide individual, separate brushes 34a to 34d, each of which is provide with a conductive wire collecting the negative charges and transporting it, as shown in FIG. 3 to a suitable means for either neutralising or consuming it.

(22) The fibers of the brushes can be made of a material which is specifically adapted to the component of the dispenser which is in contact to such bristles or filaments. It is easily possible that different materials are best suited for e.g. touching a drive roll 20 or an absorbent web 16. Suitable materials for the fibers (bristles or filaments) of the brushes are carbon fibers, nylon fibers, natural hair, stainless steel, SUS304 material, acrylic fibers coated with copper or synthetic conductive fibers.

(23) The embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 always exemplify the collection of negative charges at a drive roll. However, it is likewise possible to arrange one or a plurality of brushes such as to collect such charges from a guide roll or a tear bar which might be operated in a bidirectional movement. However, for a tear bar it might not be necessary to arrange a brush because tear bars can be made of a conductive material so that the electron transport is considerably quicker so that it might be sufficient simply to attach a conductive wire to a tear bar.

(24) FIG. 5 shows a tear bar 24 with cutting teeth 30 which is provided with a plurality of first brushes 34a, 34b, 34c and 34d which are attached to the tear bar. At the same time, there is a second brush 40 also attached to the tear bar. When using such configuration, the tear bar has a multiple function. On the one hand, the first brushes 34a, to 34d sweep the guide roll to connect excess static loads. On the other hand, the second brush 40 sweeps over the paper front in order to reintroduce the excess load into the positively charged paper. Further, the build-up of static load at the tear bar itself is also reduced because not only the excess load collected by the first brushes from the guide roll but also the excess loads building up in the tear bar are reintroduced in the paper web via the second brush 40. It goes without saying that such neutralising function can never be complete. In order to further improve such neutralising function, a further second brush might be used which sweeps over the backside of the absorbent web. In addition to this, not only the guide roll but also the drive roll might be contacted by another first brush to collect negative static load from the guide roll.

(25) FIGS. 6 and 7 show further embodiments in which the undesirable build-up of static load is not neutralised but consumed. It should be understood that the further embodiments as described in the following can also be used in addition to the embodiments as described above. In the example as shown in FIG. 6, the principle is used that an LED is a low energy consuming light source that can be lightened by the small amount energy that the static electricity generates. If the electrostatically charged part is connected by an electrical wire or in connection with the charged parts, the LED 44 as schematically shown on FIG. 6 in contact to a drive roll 20 could be used to dissipate the charges. FIG. 6 is highly simplified. When realizing the solution according to FIG. 6, it is also advisable to use a brush in order to collect the excess charge from drive roll 20 or any other suitable part of the dispenser and to connect all such brushes via a wiring to the LED in order to energize the LED.

(26) FIG. 7 shows an alternative solution to that as shown in FIG. 6 using an LED. In the example of FIG. 7, another electronic part is used which does not dissipate but stores the energy. In the example as given in FIG. 7, a capacitance 46 collects the excess charges and stores it. The capacitor 26 allows the electrostatic charges to be stored until the power could be used somewhere else in the dispenser, e.g. by using again an LED which could indicate to surface personnel that a high electrostatic load was build-up in a specific dispenser. Again, FIG. 7 is highly simplified. The skilled person will understand that the excess negative charge at the part of the dispenser, here exemplified as a guide roll 22 has to be collected e.g. by means of one or several brushes and guided by a low resistance wiring to another part of the dispenser where the charge is directed to the capacitance 46 and stored there.

(27) The embodiments as described above have in common that the electrical charges building-up in a dispenser are either neutralised or consumed or both neutralised and consumed so as to stay below a critical value which should be avoided in order to damage other electronic components of the dispenser or even expose a user to the discharge of an electrostatic load.